Johannes (Scärr) Scaer (1829 - 1894)

Born 20 Apr 1829 in Kirschroth, Hessen-Homburg, Deutscher Bund

Ancestors

Son of Nicholas (Scärr) Scarr and Anna Elisabetha (Grummenauer) Scarr

Husband of Catharina (Emrich) Scaer — married 1 Mar 1860 in Stark Co, Ohio

Descendants

Died 26 Feb 1894 at age 64 in Monroeville, Monroe Township, Allen, Indiana, United States

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Biography

John (Scärr) Scaer has German Roots.

Johannes Scaer was the son of Nicholas Scarr and Annie Grummenauer. He was born in the hamlet of Kirschroth, Germany on April 20, 1829.^[1] Interestingly, John Scarr's mother was also born on April 20th and his parents were married on April 20th. Here are some birth records as transcribed from the Kirschroth church book by Herbert Kustner:

The Scarrs of Kirschroth, Germany

The Nicholas Scarr family immigrated to America circa 1835. Johannes was a young boy of about 6 years old. The family settled near Walnut Creek in Holmes County, Ohio. The German name Johannes was Americanized, and he became known in his new community as "John." The Scarr or Scaer surname is actually meant to have an umlaut over the a. Just as my American computer keyboard does not allow me to make the symbol easily, English-speaking Americans could not spell the surname easily. There are endless variants of the surname. The name sounds like the English word "scare." The surname is not native to Germany. It actually means something like Viking or Scandinavian.

John Scaer first appears in the home of his father, Nicholas Scarr, in the 1850 Census of Holmes County, Ohio.^[2] On this Census his occupation was listed as "wagon maker."

John Scaer, Wagon Maker

Wagon Maker

It is through the occupation "wagon maker" that we are able to locate John Scaer in the 1860 Census, despite a misspelling of his surname. Although Nicholas Scarr had a young boy named John living in his household in the 1860 Census, that child is clearly a grandson.^[3] By 1860, John Scaer was responsible for his own household in a nearby community.

John Scaer married Catharine Emrich on March 1, 1860. The marriage was arranged by his brother-in-law, Jacob Stilgenbauer. The marriage license was issued in Stark County, Ohio.^[4]

John Scaer and Catharine Emrich Marriage

In the 1860 Census, John "Scheer" appears under the enumeration of Rowville, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Also in this household are his new wife Catharine, stepdaughter Elizabeth, and a wagon-making apprentice named Philip Thomas.^[5] Scaer (Scheer) stated his profession as "wagon maker" and said that he was born in "Hessen-Cassel." Note that Philip Thomas may have been related to John Scaer's brother, Peter Scarr's, wife Christine Thomas.

John Scaer in 1860 Census

John Scaer migrated west with his family sometime before 1870. His brothers Nicholas Scarr Junior and Adam Scarr (also a wagon maker) were among the relatives who settled near Monroeville, Indiana before 1870.^[6] All three men appear in the 1880 Census in Monroe Township, Allen County, Indiana.^[7] A Scaer cousin, Philip Heinrich Scaer from Baerwiller, Germany, also immigrated to that area with his children around the same time.

Circa 1875, John and Catharine Scaer's minister made a portrait of the couple in pencil. The original portrait was passed down in the family to their descendant, Donald Lehrman. His wife, Janice Miller Lehrman, scanned the image you see on this file. It is unknown what happened to the portrait after Uncle Don's death.

John and Katherine Emrich Scaer

John Scaer died in 1894. He is buried in the Hoffman Cemetery on Lortie Road, near its intersection with Hoagland Road.^[8]

Research Notes

There are a few descendants of John Scaer who have taken the autosomal DNA tests. Here is a DNA painter file that includes what is known to date:

https://dnapainter.com/profile/view/a7f38d1217931ad6

Sources

1. ↑ Kustner, Herbert. Kirschroth Village Lineage Book.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXQ6-942 : 9 November 2014), Nicholas Scarr, Walnut Creek, Holmes, Ohio, United States; citing family 1589, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.)
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCPM-QZM : 13 December 2017), John Scaer in entry for Nicholas Scaer, 1860.
4. ↑ "Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XDVV-W5T : accessed 2 April 2016), John Scaer and Catharine Enrich, 01 Mar 1860; citing Stark,Ohio, reference ; FHL microfilm 0897629 V. 5-6.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCPM-37R : 26 July 2017), Elizabeth Sheer in entry for John Sheer, 1860.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXX8-8GG : 28 May 2021), Adam Scarr, 1870.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHMZ-46W : 11 August 2016), John Scar, Monroe, Allen, Indiana, United States; citing enumeration district ED 112, sheet 376D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0264; FHL microfilm 1,254,264.
8. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVVV-RY9M : 13 December 2015), Johannes Scaer, 1894; Burial, Monroeville, Allen, Indiana, United States of America, Hoffman Cemetery; citing record ID 19338147, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

• Paternal and maternal relationships are confirmed by an AncestryDNA test match between Joella Lehrman and her third cousin G Stilgenbauer. Their most-recent common ancestors are their great great grandparents, Nicholas Scarr and Annie Grummenauer. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 3rd Cousins, based on sharing 106 cM across 6 segments; Confidence: Extremely High.

• "Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F6CF-5FK : 13 December 2014), John Scare in entry for Peter Scare, 03 Nov 1946; citing Death, Willshire Township, Van Wert, Ohio, United States, source ID item 19 cn 48, County courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 1,952,879.